Box for cigarettes and cigarillos made from a blank

ABSTRACT

A box for cigarettes or the like, formed by folding a thin blank of paper-like material together. One end of the top wall of the box has a flap extending down over the adjacent side wall and the side wall beneath the flap is secured thereto and is cut so that upon lifting the flap the portion of the side wall connected thereto will tear out. The top wall is perforated along the side edges at the flap end to tear loose and form an opening when the flap is lifted. The side wall, beneath the flap, has a T slot into which the free end of the flap can be inserted to reclose the package.

United States Patent t191 Niepmann [451 June 4, 1974 [75] Inventor: Otto Niepmann, Gevelsberg,

Germany [73] Assignee: Maschinenfabrik Fr. Niepmann &

Co., Gevelsberg, Germany [22] Filed: Sept. 6, 1972 [2l] Appl. No.: 286,721

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data Feb. 17. 1972 Germany ..2207449 [52] U.S. C1. 229/17 R, 229/14 BA, 229/51 D [5l] Int. Cl B65d 5/72 [58] Field of Search 229/14 BA, 14 BL, 17 R,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1.985,59() 12/1934 Weiss 229/17 R X 1,988,582 l/1935 Weiss 229/17 R X 2,605,038 7/1952 Wells 229/17 R 3,136,471

6/1964 Brastad 229/14 BL 3,270,941 9/1966 Barnes 229/51 D X 3,570,745 3/1971 Aoki 229/17 R 3,580,466

5/1971 Thelen 229/14 BA Primary Examiner-William l. Price Assistant Examiner-Stephen P. Garbe Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Walter Becker [57] ABSTRACT A box for cigarettes or the like, formed by folding a thin blank of paper-like material together. One end of the top wall of the box has a flap extending down over the adjacent side wall and the side wall beneath the flap is secured thereto and is cut so that upon lifting the flap the portion of the side wall connected thereto will tear out. The top wall is perforated along the side edges at the flap end to tear loose and form an opening when the flap is lifted. The side wall, beneath the flap, has a T slot into which the free end ofthe flap can be inserted to reclose the package.

3 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures PMENEnJUn 41914 y :3;814'301' SHEE 1 Uf 2 l l it MF Mil 1 r1 111| 1* M i; l mik: i* yf V Bw -1 W Jl 1a H 1 up in* l':

L Ii l y nl w H I H |Il`| if] V im Inh I In I 8 IIWt lil it l m1,] l lil i l Ii BOXYFOR CIGARETTES AND CIGARILLOS MADE- FROM A BLANK The present invention relates to a box for cigarettes and cigarillos made from a blank of semistiff paper, thin cardboard, or the like with bottom or side folds and with at least one double layer longitudinal wall as well as with an opening section adapted to be reclosed, the opening section comprising a flap for ripping open the box and provided on the outer longitudinal wall and being formed by a conically extending perforation ending in the corners, and also comprising a part of the top flaps which are perforated over a portion of their length adjacent to the rip flap and along the folding line for the respective side wall, the opening section also comprising an insertion slot for the rip flap which is located in the inner longitudinal wall.

A box for cigarettes and cigarillos of the above described type is known. The rip tlap of the opening section may after ripping open the boxbe again inserted into the insertion slot in order again to close the box. The insertion slot is provided on the inner longitudinal wall and its upper half forms an insertion opening.

This insertion opening has to be produced by means of tine punching tools during the punching out of the blank. To this end not only very sensitive and precisely adjustable punching tools are necessary but the process also results in that small punched out pieces of material accumulate which easily clog up the punching device. These punched out small pieces of material have to be removed at relatively high costs. This additional work has to be put up with because the punched out pieces must under no circumstances enter the subsequent manufacturing process.

' It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a box for cigarettes and cigarillos of the above described type which box is made from a blank out of which no pieces have to be punched out and which can easily be opened and closed again after ythe box has been ripped open.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will appear more clearly from the following specification in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. l is a top view of the inner side of the blank.

FIG.` 2 is an isometric view of the box according to the invention in closed condition.

FIG. 3 is an isometric view of the box of FIG. 2 but in opened condition.

FIG. 4 shows the box of FIG. 3 after it has been closed again.

The box according to the present invention is characterized primarily in that the insertion slot is T-shaped and is provided with its bar pointing toward the opening side.

In view of the T-shapeddesign of the insertion slot. it will no longer be necessary to punch out small pieces from the blank of the box. ln addition thereto, the T- shaped insertion slot may be `produced by means of a simple knife or blade so that also complicated punching tools will be avoided. The T-shaped design of the insertion slot permits an easy insertion of the tip of the rip flap when the onceopened box is again to be closed.

In order to prevent that the rip flap inserted into the insertion slot can slip out of the slot, the rip flap is according to a further development of the invention at its conical tip provided with a lateral holding nose which in closed condition of the box is located below the insertion slot.

This lateral holding nose will, when inserting the rip flap into the T-shaped insertion slot, bring about a lateral bending of the opening section. Due to this lateral bending, return forces are generated which, after the holding nose has completely entered into the T-shape insertion slot, will bring about a spring-back of the rip flap into its normal position so that it is firmly located and held in its closing position.

According a further feature of the invention, the lateral holding nose is formed onto a reinforcing piece which is'formed onto the top flap located on the inside and which is glued to the outside of the rip flap. As a result thereof, there is obtained not only a reinforcement of the rip flap but there is also obtained a portion which is located on top of the double-layer longitudinal wall of the closed box and which can easily be grasped from below by a finger nail for opening the box. This reinforced portion thus permits an easy and satisfactory lifting and grasping of the rip flap so that an opening for the finger nail as it was heretofore necessary in the outer longitudinal wall of the box can be dispensed with. Such opening for the linger nail, similar to the insertion opening for the rip flap, had heretofore to be produced by means of sensitive punching tools while the punched out pieces did interfere with the manufacturing process proper as well as with the further processing steps.

According to a further development of the invention it isv suggested for a box which is provided with a glued section on the longitudinal side of the box to fold the tin foil together with the vtop fold of the box blank and preferably to cut the tin foil along the opening edges up to a holding web.

In view of the folding of the tin foil enveloping the cigarette block together with the top fold, it will be assured that when opening the box for the first time not only the outer box but also the inner tin foil wrapping of the cigarettes will be opened so that the cigarettes will be exposed for their subsequent withdrawal.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, the blank shown in FIG. 1 comprises two rectangular side walls l and 2 which are connected to each other by a longitudinal wall 3. Arranged on the remaining longitudinal sides of the side walls l and 2 is a further longitudinal wall 4 and 5 each. The narrow sides of the lateral walls 1 and 2 are provided with bottom flaps 6 and 7 and top flaps l0 and ll; provided on the central longitudinal wall 3 there is a bottom flap 8 and a top flap flap l2.

Furthermore, the longitudinal wall 5 is provided with a bottom flap 9 and with a smaller top flap 13.

The shading ofsorne of the surfaces is intended to indicate how the blank shown in FIG. l is to be folded and glued. The shading indicates that the longitudinal wall 5, the bottom flap 7v and the top flap 1l are each located on the outside and that the bottom flaps 8 and 9 are glued to the inner bottom flap 6. Also the top flap l2 and the smaller top flap 13 are glued to the inside of the inner top flap l0.

The outer longitudinal wall 5 has punched thereinto a conical rip flap 5a which is held in place only by a short perforated line starting from the corners. This rip flap Sais glued to the inner side of a reinforcing section l5 connected to the narrow side of the inner top flap l0. The reinforcing section l5 connected to the rip flap Aother form the opening element. To this end, the top flaps 10 and 11 are perforated over a portion of their lengths along the folding line toward the respective side walls 1 and 2. The extent of these perforations is indicated by dotted lines.

. The rip flap a connected to the reinforcing section 15 is provided with a lateral holding nose 15a which with the specific embodiment shown is formed on the reinforcing section 15. The rip flap 5a is 'after the box has been opened again inserted into an insertion slot 14 for closing the box. This slot 14 is provided in the inner longitudinal wall 4 and has the shape of a T with the transverse bar of the T pointing toward the opening of the box.

The isometric illustration of the not yet openedbox according to FIG. 2 shows that the reinforcing section l5 located on the outer longitudinal wall 5 can easily be grasped from below by a finger nail. To this end, the reinforcing section 15 extends beyond the rip flap 5a of the outer longitudinal wall 5 as will be evident from a comparison of the shaded surface indicating the rip surface 5a with the total surface of the reinforcing section 15 of FIG. l. After lifting the reinforcing section 15 which is glued to the rip flap 5a, the rip flap 5d can easily be opened while at-the Sametime the top flaps and ll glued to each other will tear open along their perforated portion. FIG. 3 shows the box in opened condition. This illustration shows that the shorter top flap I3 is located on the inside of the of the inner top flap l0.

When opening the box, the insertion slot 14 in the inner longitudinalwall 4 is freed. This is likewise shown in FlG. 3. After a cigarette or cigarillo has been withdrawn from the box,` it can subsequently be closed again. To this end, the rip flap 5a together with the reinforcing section l5 to which it is glued is in conformity with FIG. 4 introduced into the T-shaped insertion slot 14. The insertion is facilitated by the transverse bar of the T-shaped insertion slot 14 which bar points toward the opening side ofthe box. The reason why in this way the insertion is facilitated consists in that the said bar of the T-shaped insertion slot renders that portion of the inner longitudinal wall 4 which is located above the insertion slot 14 sufficiently yieldable to permit an easy pressing-in.

When inserting the rip flap 5a into the slot 14, the holding nose 15a provided laterally on the reinforcing section l5 brings about a bending of the opening portion of the box. The tension created by this bending of the material of the top flaps l0 and l1 will bring about that after insertion of the rip flap 5a and the reinforcing section l5 into the insertion slot 14 the holding nose 15a will catch behind the insertion slot 14 and in this way will prevent an unintentional opening of the box.

When the tin foil which forms an envelope for the cigarette block not shown in the drawing, the tin foil likewise being omitted from the drawing for the sake of clarity, is folded together with the top fold of the box blank, it'will be appreciated that when opening the box, simultaneously also the tin foil wrapper will be opened. To this end, the tin foil wrapper may be cut or slotted along the opening edges up to a holding web so that definite separating lines will be obtained.

It is, of course, to be understood that the present invention is, by no means, limited to the particular showing in the drawings but also comprises any modifications within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A box especially for cigarettes and the like, cornprising: a blank of thin relatively stiff paper-like material folded to form a box having side and top and bottom walls all of the same width and front and back walls of substantially greater width, one said side wall having inner and outer layers, a first flap projecting from the upper end of the outer layer of said one side wall and engaging the underneath side of one end of the said top wall and secured thereto, a second tlap projecting from said one end of top wall and extending downwardly over the outside layer of said one side wall at the upper end thereof and secured thereto, said second flap tapering inwardly in a direction away from said top wall, the outer layer of said one side wall having an incision therein extending parallel to the outer end of said second flap and partway upwardly parallel to the sides thereof and perforations along the remainder of the sides of said second flap to form a tear out flap in said outer layer of said one side wall, the said inner alyer of said one side wall being free of connection to said outer layer of said one side wall in the region of said tear out flap and being formed with a slot beneath said second flap, and perforations extending a predetermined distance along the side edges of said top wall from said second flap whereby a portion of said top wall can be torn loose when said second flap and tear out flap are lifted thereby to expose the contents of said box, said second flap having a lateral nose portion thereon near the outer end, said slot comprising a lateral incision in the inner layer of said one side wall and a longitudinal incision extending from about the middle of said lateral incision toward said top wall, said nose portion being disposed beneath said lateral incision when said second flap vis positioned along said one side wall whereby upon insertion of the outer end of said second flap into said slot after opening of said box said nose will perform a locking function.

2. A box according to claim 1 in which said second flap is secured to the said outer layer of said one side wall over at least the central region of said second flap thereby leaving at least the outer end marginal portion of said second flap free for easy engagement by a finger nail.

3. A box according to claim 1, in which said slot has a T-shaped configuration. 

1. A box especially for cigarettes and the like, comprising: a blank of thin relatively stiff paper-like material folded to form a box having side and top and bottom walls all of the same width and front and back walls of substantIally greater width, one said side wall having inner and outer layers, a first flap projecting from the upper end of the outer layer of said one side wall and engaging the underneath side of one end of the said top wall and secured thereto, a second flap projecting from said one end of top wall and extending downwardly over the outside layer of said one side wall at the upper end thereof and secured thereto, said second flap tapering inwardly in a direction away from said top wall, the outer layer of said one side wall having an incision therein extending parallel to the outer end of said second flap and partway upwardly parallel to the sides thereof and perforations along the remainder of the sides of said second flap to form a tear out flap in said outer layer of said one side wall, the said inner alyer of said one side wall being free of connection to said outer layer of said one side wall in the region of said tear out flap and being formed with a slot beneath said second flap, and perforations extending a predetermined distance along the side edges of said top wall from said second flap whereby a portion of said top wall can be torn loose when said second flap and tear out flap are lifted thereby to expose the contents of said box, said second flap having a lateral nose portion thereon near the outer end, said slot comprising a lateral incision in the inner layer of said one side wall and a longitudinal incision extending from about the middle of said lateral incision toward said top wall, said nose portion being disposed beneath said lateral incision when said second flap is positioned along said one side wall whereby upon insertion of the outer end of said second flap into said slot after opening of said box said nose will perform a locking function.
 2. A box according to claim 1 in which said second flap is secured to the said outer layer of said one side wall over at least the central region of said second flap thereby leaving at least the outer end marginal portion of said second flap free for easy engagement by a finger nail.
 3. A box according to claim 1, in which said slot has a T-shaped configuration. 